Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-09-25

notnibB III my emergency had 4 not
known you to have inherited the last.
! am greatly indebted to you. Please
let me know what your estimate of
this Indebtedness may be aad / will
promptly cancel it. This will termi-
nate our business relations. At any
time after settlement you are pleased
TO call ! will be glad to consider YOU
az IaW Calenus, AID talk to you as
such"
Ny response was formal one the
business item was satisfactorily set
tied, and a day or two after was, by
appointment, ushe1ed into his presence
as IGul Galenus.
DO not wish to say that he was, on
this occasion, the Sampson Hardy of
his younger days. There was that
IN his eye which, TO a physicians
intelligence, betokened aa unsettled
condition Of mentality, and that
stamped much OF his congcniality with
the impress of stimulation. eBut his
manner vas so cordial and his tone OF
voice sOhearty, that but for the restraint
! felt forced TO hold between US, he
might possibly have won me to look
upon him as the blithe companion Of
my younger days, unscarred by that
blightiEg memory.
At first he talked OF our boyhood,
then Of our school days, then OF the in
tcryal that bore us on to manhood, AMI
at times he was 50 eloquent in his re-
Vival Of the scenes these cras suggested
that my studied Indifference was almost
dispelled.
Suddenly there was an almost horri-
tying change in the expression OF his
face his cheeks lost their color, his
lips quiyered, his eyes stared as if in a
climax of fright, and drawing nearer to
me he made eralcOntractions Of the
throat as if struggling to recover his
speech, and then spasmodicaliy con-
tlDued:
"God forgive me for my cowardice
IN dreadng to approach that night Of
horrors. Pail, but / never can think OF
it without opening afresh the wounds in
my heart. Oh, what frenzied deed
was that A raying, recreant, deyilish
subsection Of manhood to a Gcnd born
If this fitful thing We call passion. All
that Was good ii me covering for the
moment in some dark granny of nv
being while a demon Imagination fred
nerve, brain, and muscle, and melted
me to an act that burned a bran on my
very soul. Aye burned it so deep
that there has since gone out from my
life not one breath that has not seetned
with the fire of that wound. And if
only blood could have extinguished
that fire, Paul, the rivers OF it that |
have Wadcd through since that night
would have quenched its fury an hun
bred times. ] have talked Of blood,
thought Of blood, dreamed Of blood.
] have seen blood in the sun, blood in
the moon, blood in every view Of its
milky way. / have drank it in the
deWs, Lrcathed it in the air, inhaled it
in tie fragrance of the flowers, felt it
in the presence OF the evening mists.
The birds sang Of blood, the clouds
threw 1t IN great clOts on my window
pants, the leaves blew in my window
wet with It's daring horror and the lap
OF the waves ON the shore sounded TO
ne like The wings Of some incaruadined
vv.Urc Ieekiug with the drip Of his
houid icastiug. Oh 1t was Horrible,
horrible, horrible! It uddied my
y'a.on everywhere, coGrscd through
every second Of my life, and would
ave driven me long since to a mad
mans gave but for this recourse Of
mine
Fore he pointed tothe rudy appoint
mcuts Of his apartment, and after q
pause, during which his eyes lost
tCmothiug OF their fire aud his mood
became much more subduel. he CON
tinucd:
at occurred 10 me one DAY in one
OF ny many efforts TO think myself into
some other train Of thought than this
one, that nay visions o.
due entirely to introspection.
The ensanpuinod pictures that were
presented TO me came from within,
where conscience ever presented to me
Tie symbols OF my misdeeds, and t.
DE continued contemplation Of which
was due this atmosphere Of blood III
which | seemed to live and have my
being. 1t WIS suggested to me that if
could establish, in my immediate sur
rounding, such q diversion Of color as
would draw The eye, by the operation
of deceit, from tie interior focus, that
would assert itself, and
Icing aided thus to demonstrate that
not everything was blood which had
the appearance of blood, would be able
TO control the nerve influences which
were making me a slave to this curdling
vision. by what theory of the inter
relation Of optics and intelligence this
is explained 1t does not concern me to
know, nut certain it is that the result
has proved salutary one, for within
the influence Of these surroundings my
tmtLos are sbltcd, beyond it they keep
ne ever on tie verge Of Madness
1t this point my strange entertainer
arose, paced the door awhile, returned,
Grated discussiyelv for a few moments,
aid when ! departed bowed me ont
with a most gracious insistanc3 that
should cell again.
l never did. Ny wife learned,
through my inadveIttnce in mention
ing the name of my patient to 4 ser
want, the secret connected with my
visits TO Castle Odd. The name aroused
her suspicious and her close question
iug of me neccsSitated my revealing the
truth. It's effect upon her was such as
my acceding to her wishes
ard returning TO cur old home. Re
established here her health bettered
again, and in month or two she had
so far regaincd her nerve power rs to
listen uDmoyed 20 my relation OF the
crimson chamber and its cnmc-haunted
tenant.
Five years had interviewed. I had
mean while heard nothing Of Sampson
Hardy and had assumed that the men
tal lnalady whose presence was so
marked on the occasion of our last
meeting had carried mm to cOnline-
mcnt other than that OF bis ruddy 6oa-
dCir.
Wife and had concluded our ar
for tripio the Bermudas;
our franks were already on ship-board,
our band-satchels packed, and our
tickets lying on the desk before me
awaiting deposit in my wallet. which /
was busy lining with essential papers.
Wife had stepped next door to say
" goodbye" to neighbor, and as 1
finished the last business act prelimi-
nary to our departure arose, put on